Proposed StoneyBrook Golf Course Development
David Hester
Orange County District Commissioners,
Good morning! As a 20-year resident of district 4 residing in the Stoneybrook East community, my wife and I are writing you today to protest the proposed Land-Use change of our local community’s golf course. The Orange County Commissioners already voted against this request to rezone just a short time ago (January 2020). For my family and hundreds of my neighbors nothing has changed our opposition to this proposal. We are concerned for many reasons including CRIME; overcrowding of our neighborhood, schools, and roads; and decreasing the property values of our homes which my family is counting on as we near retirement in 2022.
On the entrance to Stoneybrook and every subdivision is the slogan “Stoneybrook, a Golf Community”. In addition to being a great area and community, the golf course is one of the main reasons we purchased property in the area. The owner of the golf course (John Caporaletti) indicates this change is required or he’ll have to close the golf course. We believe even with this proposed Land-Use action the course will ultimately fail. The proposed action eliminates ½ of one of the 18 holes, in addition to the entire practice facilities. People simply will not come to golf at Stoneybrook East which will lead (as we all know) to further development in the area as the course will not be viable no matter the owners promises.
As a small boy growing up south of Pittsburgh, I learned to play golf at a public course owned and operated by Allegheny County in southwestern Pennsylvania. That was over 50 years ago, and the golf course is still there for the community today. With the closing of the nearby Eastwood Golf Course, also owned by Mr. Caporaletti, Stoneybrook East is the only recreational golf left in the area. As concerned citizens, there must be other solutions for the residents of Stoneybrook, district 4 and Orange County. As an example, I believe the Twin Rivers Golf Club in Oviedo was at the point of closing and the City of Oviedo stepped in to purchase the course in a public / private partnership.
As our elected officials, we ask you to help us find solutions to save our community!
Thank you,
Joanie & David Hester
P.S. Much of the already closed Eastwood Golf Course also owned by Mr. Caporaletti is adjacent to the Stoneybrook course. Another possible solution may be for Orange County to negotiate a favorable price for both properties, keep the golf course and develop the remaining land for a children’s park (playground), or youth baseball and soccer fields similar to Trotters Park in the Maitland area. This type of park / facility is much needed on this side of town. Let’s get creative!!!
Todd McGee
Mr. Hester,
Your email to the allBOCC email address was sent to the Orange County, N.C., board of commissioners.
Todd McGee
Orange County Community Relations Director
Sent: Friday, January 7, 2022 11:18:04 AM
To: Dist...@ocfl.net; ALL_BOCC_MANAGER_CLERK
Cc: dist...@ocfl.net; dist...@ocfl.net; dist...@ocfl.net; dist...@ocfl.net; dist...@ocfl.net; r...@stoneybrookeast.org; step...@stoneybrookeast.org; da...@stoneybrookeast.org; pe...@stoneybrookeast.org
Subject: [EXTERNAL MAIL!] Proposed StoneyBrook Golf Course Development